


Vergrößern

by Warpony



Series: Feral Echoes [6]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Gen, Magic, Pirates, Spells & Enchantments, Urukayxl, Wizard, uk'otoa - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-30
Updated: 2020-04-30
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:00:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23922727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Warpony/pseuds/Warpony
Summary: Urukayxl might not be the best place to try new combinations of combat enchantments but beggars can hardly be choosers.* * * * *Part of a larger WIP involving a D&D Original Character and the Critical Role Mighty Nein.
Series: Feral Echoes [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1711534
Comments: 4
Kudos: 19





	Vergrößern

The ocean had been so beautiful from the beaches and docks of Nicodranas. The cooled air of the sea washing through the vibrant city and swirling spiced air all around. The Nein had been relaxed and jovial, looking forwards to a long few days rollicking in Jester's ancestral home and in the company of Marion Lavorre. Brunnera had been looking forwards to exploring and moving through Nicodranas without agenda or purpose, content to keep in the company of his friends and be distracted by the vibrance of the port. 

But it had not lasted.

In a whirlwind of flukes and mishaps, truly the lifeblood of the Nein's misadventurous essence, they'd found themselves with a ship, crew and shanghaied by Avantika and the crew of the Squall-Eater.

The ocean was quickly losing its appeal. 

And Urukayxl was miserable. 

He might not have been raised in his homeland but he was a creature meant for the frigid and frozen north. He'd been healthier in the last few weeks than he had his whole life. He'd bulked up and gotten quite a bit stronger; that meant he'd grown in a healthy summer coat of fur. It was by no means the heavy pelt he would get in a cold winter but it was enough. The heat, humidity and insects were making him more bad tempered than he was already by just being around Avantika and Jamedi. He despised that she-elf. He hated how she was manipulating and taking advantage of Fjord and essentially holding them hostage, he desperately wanted to be rid of them and the whole Squall-Eater crew. 

They were here for Fjord. He was desperately curious to know about himself and his patron and all that he could be. They would never abandon him on that venture. 

But Brunnera hated this abomination Uk'otoa and how it had dug itself into their half-orc. 

Magic is a strange thing. It's fickle. Some are born with it as Caduceus was. Others gifted like Jester. Caleb had earned his through study and dedicated practice.

Fjord got his through bargain.

The fighter didn't know a great deal about the gods and powerful mystical beings and beasts. But he was sure there were better ones out there to make pacts with than a serpent that made one swallow weapons and vomit salt water after dreams.

Brunnera himself was meant to be like Caduceus, born with a few innate sparks of the arcane to carry him through life. But it had been smothered by the collar or the hard living in the String. He didn’t know magic except in the sensation of it being wielded on him as a weapon or, now that he was with the Nein, in healing magics.

He'd never had a spell cast on him to his benefit before. 

He didn't really register Caleb grabbing a bit of iron powder from his component bag and scattering in his direction. 

All Brunnera knew was he'd just settled down on his bedroll for the night, watching Avantika and Jamedi distastefully from the corner of his eye, he and Yasha instinctively putting themselves between the pirate captain and the rest of the Nein as they bedded down in the hut. 

Then Caduceus' panicked cry for help broke above the ruins around them and the party exploded into movement. 

He'd felt the arcane energy roar through him, in a fraction of a moment his body distorted and wrenched as muscles, organs and bones expanded as _Enlarge_ wove itself into his very being. 

He'd stumbled, pitching as his body was suddenly unwieldy and for a moment felt disconnected, stone pavers and part of a ruined wall crumbled and cracked violently under his new weight. 

The spell had done its job beautifully. But casting _Enlarge_ on a creature already over seven feet tall and giant-kin had the unexpected effect of escalating his height to nearly fifteen feet. A true giant's height. He had to shake himself as his mind and body synced back together then lunged back into the fight. 

In a mere matter of strides he'd closed the distance and spied the beastial monstrosities attacking their clerics. Wild cats with snake appendages, hissing and snarling and dripping poison. The fight was fast and furious, Brunnera's colossal size keeping him above the toxic fumes and deflected injury. For a furious minute the fighter was all the fury and unstoppable force of a hurricane among the rest of the party's combat. When the dust settled the creatures were dead and more than a few trees had been hewn down; casualties of Brunnera's swinging blades. 

The fighter stood looking down at the rest of the Nein, his face showing no emotion but his tail was lashing anxiously behind him. His ears were pinned back. Caleb came up to his side, reaching to gently pat his knee as he released the spell and Brunnera's frame contorted and shrank. He stumbled but Caleb caught his arm, holding him still. 

"That spell is very effective on you, _ja_? You become quite the behemoth." Caleb looked around at the devistated terrain and one of the creatures that had been hewn in half then crushed nearly flat under Brunnera's assault. 

"Perhaps not the best matched spell for you, but handy to remember in a tight spot?" Caleb smiled a bit crookedly.

Brunnera's chuffed softly, flicking an ear at him. " _Ja._ "

"Here, friend. Here." Caleb tapped his bicep, encouraging Brunnera to post up on his shoulder. "A bit wobbly after that, I expect."

The fighter rumbled and set a hand solidly on Caleb as they walked back towards the chosen campsite. He was a little unsready but not so much he couldn't manage but he would never turn down an invitation from Caleb to make some small contact. 

Caleb shied from the physical. Spooked from it in a way that Brunnera recognized of a creature that had been hurt to badly to many times. He had a haunted look that the fighter knew all to well even without knowing the whole of the wizard's past. 

So far Brunnera had only seen Caleb reach out readily to Nott and Beau. On a rare occasion the rest of the Nein. They had made contact fleetingly before. When Caleb helped tie or fluff Beau's sash around his neck. When Brunnera had asked him to Dispel the Demarcate collar. 

Caleb had given him a wide berth since then. Until now. 

The firbolg fighter knew the offered shoulder for support was the wizard reaching out tentatively to bridge that space between them. Brunnera took it without hesitation. 

He didn't put his full weight on Caleb but he didn't pander to him either, leaning on him a bit as they walked. Caleb's shoulder felt tense under his palm but it slowly relaxed and Brunnera couldn't help a slight smile.

Caleb helped the fighter settle back down into the disturbed pile of bedrolls, shifting them around so Caleb would be right next to Brunnera. It seemed that after casting on someone Caleb got a bit attached. Even if just for a short time. 

" _Gut, ja?_ " The gingery spellcaster asked, even as he was already settling back down to recast the tiny hut. 

Brunnera rumbled back, folding his arms and settling his head tiredly on his forearms. The spell had taken as much out of him as it had Caleb. He'd burned through alot of energy very quickly in an environment that was swiftly sapping his strength. 

When the hut glowed to life the air within was pleasantly cool and Brunnera sighed happily at the relief, breathing deeply. 

"I, ah, noticed you are not so fond of this tropical environment." Caleb said quietly, one of the fighter's ears flicking to listen. "I am not a fan of it either."

"Thank you, Caleb." The fighter rumbled softly as the wizard eased down to curl up and sleep, looking a bit more drained than before. "... _Danke_... for all the magic... _Danke_."

Caleb just absently patted his arm before folding hands across his own chest. 

His eyes skimmed around, checking each of the Nein before looking towards Avantika. The elf pirate was watching him and Caleb with a hard calculated look, clearly thinking over some judgement she had made earlier. Brunnera pinned his ears then curled his lip a bit, flashing slightly pointed teeth at her once. 

Good. Let her worry about the unknown. Let her rethink how dangerous they were when they combined their strengths and abilities. Let her rethink any fuckery or jackassery she might be trying to plan for the Mighty Nein.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you all enjoyed reading as much as enjoyed writing an extra jumbo sized firbolg!


End file.
